Matt Kiernan / News Editor

The International Association of Business Communications put on a panel discussion to help students with the process of finding a job and how to present themselves to future employers.

“Right now college students need to cast a wider net and be flexible,” said client manager of the Hartford Financial Services Group Jodi Wallach.

The panel discussion was between Wallach, human resources representative of DST Output Maryanna Walsh, principal of Professional Resume Plus, LLC John Brubaker and Drina Lynch, assistant dean of graduate studies.

During this economic crisis, employers are planning to hire 22 percent fewer graduates this spring and U.S. job prospects have dropped for the fourteenth straight month. What’s even gloomier is that 5.1 million jobs have been lost since the start of the recession and 8 percent of employers will be forced to rescind some of the offers they made in the fall.

Speakers encouraged students, however, by adding that an optimistic outlook and confidence do help.

“The world will make way for someone who has something to sell and knows how to sell it,” said Brubaker.

“The biggest problem job seekers go through is when they face the same challenges they would in a good economy,” he said, “and if it doesn’t work, they tell their friends it’s because of the economy.”

Lynch said that in order to find a job, students need to focus on their skills, search the job market and arrange interviews for themselves. She used the example of the Stanford University students who created the search engine Google to help the audience picture the possibility of success so long as they apply themselves.

Walsh used examples of unprofessional e-mail addresses to show the pitfalls of not creating a professional identity to have employers believe you’re right for the job. She cited immature usernames, such as “sexyyoungthing”, and informal voicemail messages to show what could be inappropriate in the eyes of employers.

The panel encouraged networking, as 70 percent of job seekers gain some type of success through making connections. Students can also work with faculty and alumni to let them know that they’re looking for a job.

What’s currently on the rise for hiring positions is in the areas of government, pharmacy, healthcare, energy and non-profit organizations. As the economy is slipping into desperate situations for some, these areas seem to lead towards advancing the country and getting it out of the situation it’s in.